Apparatus for reducing and smelting sulphide ores



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A, L. 'ENGELBAGH & S. E. BRETHERTO'N. APPABATUS FOR REDUCING ANDSMELTING SULPHLDE ORES.

No. 496,250. Patented Apr. 25, 1893.

W/TNEIySSEiZZ I 1/ llVVENTO/YS v w y ATTORNEYS.

: mums PETERS co. Pnamuma, msmuoron u c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS L. ENGELBAOH AND SIDNEY ELLIOTT BRETHERTON, OF LEAD- VILLE,COLORADO.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING AND SMELTING SULPHIDE ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,250, dated April25, 1893.

Application filed August 30, 1892. Serial No. 4 7 (N0 m l- I To all whomit may concern: 7

Be it known that we, AUGUSTUS L. ENGEL- BACH and SIDNEY ELLIOTTBRETHERTON, both of Leadville, in the county of Lake and State ofColorado, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Reducing andSmelting Sulphide Ores, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

The invention is embodied in the construction and arrangement of thefurnace, as hereinafter described, and more specifically indicated inthe claims, whereby we are enabled to carry out a very efficient method,whose principal features consist in forcing air through a series ofretorts which are heated by the radiating heat of the matte and slagdischarged from the blast furnace, then injecting a hydrocarbon gas intothe air thus heated, in order to produce an oxidizing flame, and thenforcing such flame into the blast furnace to reduce the ore therein.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional end elevation of the apparatus; and Fig. 2 is asectional plan view of the same.

The apparatus is provided with an ordinary blast furnace A, comprisingthe usual crucible B, the water jackets 0, arranged above the crucibleand the shaft D, connected with the upper end of the water jackets. Intothe latter open at all sides aseries of tuyeres E, connected with achannel F, arranged Within the wall of the crucible B, as plainlyillustratedin Fig. 1, one end of the said channel being connected by apipe G, with a combustion chamber H, into which passes hot air generatedby a series of retorts J, as hereinafter more fully described, and intothe said combustion chamber also extends a nozzle I, through which amixture of oil and steam is introduced to mix with the hot air and beburned in the said combustion chamber H.

The oil is introduced to the nozzle I by means of a pipe I, connectedwith a suitable source of steam supply and into this pipe I extends asteam supply pipe 1 connected with a suitable source of steam supply sothat a hydrocarbon mixture finally issues through with a nozzle J forconnecting the same with v a suitable source of air supply, such as ablower, to force air through the series of connected retorts.

On the end of the chamber K opposite the chimney N is arranged a furnaceO, in which a fire may be kept burning for generating heat to heat theretorts J, in case a sufficient quantity of heat is not obtained fromthe' matte and slag passing onto the crucible L and radiating its heatinto the chamberK to heat the retorts J. The crucible L is connected bythe spout P, with the crucible B of the blast furnace A, so that themolten matte and slag in the said blast furnace can pass through thespout P onto the crucible L of the oven K in which the heat radiatingfrom the .said matte and slag is utilized to heat the air passingthrough the series of connected retorts J. From the crucible L in theoven K leads a series of spouts Q, R, S, located one above the other, soas to draw 01f the separated matte, slag and other substances accordingto their specific gravity.

The operation is as follows: When the blast furnace A is charged in theusual manner, then the heated air from the connected retorts J, passesinto the combustion chamber H to mix therein with the hydrocarbonmixture issuing through the nozzle I, thus producing a gas which readilyignites in the said combustion chamber H and forms an oxidizing flamewhich passes through the pipe G into the channel F and from the latterto the tuyeres E into the charge of the blast fur: nace A, so that theheat or oxidizing flame serves to fuse the sulphideore without the aidof carbonaceous fuel. The molten product, consisting of matte and slag,gathers on the crucible B and passes from the latter through the spout Ponto the crucible L in the oven K to radiate heat in the chamber K toheat the retorts J, as previously described. The matte and slag separateon the crucible L and are drawn off at the proper time through thecorresponding spouts Q, R, S.

It is understood that if othersubstances, as speiss for instance, arecontained in the molten product, the same separates from the bullion,matte and slag and is discharged through a corresponding spout from thecrucible L. If the heat radiating from the molten product in thecrucible L in the oven K is not sufficient to heat the air passingthrough the retorts J, to say 1,000 to 1,200 Fahrenheit, then thefurnace O is fired as previously described, so as to supply thedeficiency. By locating the channel F which is made of iron, tin, clayor any other suitable fire-proof material, in the wall of the crucibleB, no heat is lost by radiation, and at the same time but a shortconnection is necessary between the said channel and the interior of theblast furnace A by the tuyeres E. The heated gas in the channel F has atendency to keep the crucibleB at a high temperature so that chilling ofthe molten mass on the crucible is prevented.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. An apparatus for reducing and smeltingores, comprising a blast furnace, a channel arranged in the Wall of thecrucible of the said blast furnace, tuyeres connecting the said channelwith the interior of the said furnace, a combustion chamber connectedwith the said channel, an oven containing retorts connected with thesaid combustion chamber, the said oven serving to heat the air passingthrough the said retorts, and a nozzle extending into the saidcombustion chamber and through which passes a mixture of steam and oil,substantially as shown and described.

2. An apparatus for reducing and smelting ores, comprising a blastfurnace, a channel arranged in the wall of the crucible of the saidblast furnace, tuyeres connecting the said channel with the interior ofthe said furnace,

a combustion chamber connected with the said channel, an oven containingretorts connected with the said combustion chamber, the said ovenserving to heat the air passing through the said retorts, a nozzleextending into the said combustion chamber and through which passes amixture of steam and oil, and a furnace connected with one end of thesaid even, substantially as shown and described. 3. An apparatus forreducing and smelting ores, comprising a blast furnace, a channelarranged in the wall of the crucible of the said blast furnace, tuyeresconnecting the said channel with the interior of the said furnace, acombustion chamber connected with the said channel, an oven containingretorts connected with the said combustion chamber, the said ovenserving to heat the air passing through the said retorts, a nozzleextending into the said combustion chamber and through which passes amixture of steam and oil, and a spout connecting the crucible of thesaid blast furnace with the crucible of the said oven, substantially asshown and described.

4. An apparatus for reducing and smelting ores, comprising a blastfurnace, a channel arranged. in the wall of the crucible of the saidblast furnace, tuyeres connecting the said channel with the interiorofthe said furnace, a combustion chamber connected with the said channel,an oven containing retorts connected with the said combustion chamber,the said oven serving to heat the air passing through the said retorts,a nozzle extending into the said combustion cham her and through whichpasses a mixture of steam and oil, a spout connecting the crucible ofthe said blast furnace with the crucible of the said oven, and a seriesof outlet spouts for the separated products of the molten matter in theoven, substantially as shown and described.

AUGUSTUS l1. ENGELBACH. SIDNEY ELLIOTT BltE'lllEltlON.

\Vitnesses:

J. W. EASTON, GEO. S. PHELPS.

